Fiber in fiber (FIF) bioartificial liver (BAL) devices are known. An example of which is described and discussed in a paper titled “Fiber in Fiber (FIF) bioartificial liver device: initial design and prototyping” by Hilal-Alnaqbi Ali, Basem Yousuf and Gaylor J. D. S. [Computer-Aided Design & Applications, 8(1), 2011, 99-109]. Devices are also known from and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,955B and CN101199436.
Known designs consist of a conventional hollow fiber cartridge, which functions as a cell culture system, and a second hollow fiber placed in the lumen of the cartridge. Three zones or spaces are created. Known devices use guide plates to arrange the fibers the bioreactors. Unfortunately, the assembly of the bioreactor is complex. The assembly requires a body to be clamped vertically and a guide plate, having holes therein, placed in the recess in the upper end of the body. Hollow fibers are then threaded through the holes in the plate and kept static. A flowable silicone rubber elastomer is injected onto the plate and around the fiber walls to secure the fibers. Known bioreactors are, therefore, complex devices requiring delicate assembly techniques and are expensive to fabricate. Further, they are for one-time use because of nature of the assembly and the risk contamination.